Data center hybrid cooling system with waste heat recovery function

Abstract

This application discloses a data center composite cooling system with waste heat recovery function, comprising: a heat absorption component installed in the data center to absorb waste heat generated during the operation of equipment in the data center; a heat dissipation component connected to the heat absorption component to dissipate waste heat to the outside; a waste heat recovery component connected to the heat absorption component to recover waste heat; and a control component connected to both the heat dissipation component and the waste heat recovery component. The control component determines the target operating mode of the composite cooling system according to user needs. When the target operating mode is cooling and heat dissipation mode, the control component controls the heat dissipation component to dissipate waste heat; and when the target operating mode is waste heat recovery mode, the control component recovers waste heat and supplies the heat energy to the user. This application can cool the data center while recovering waste heat, resulting in significant economic benefits. Furthermore, its simple structure and ease of deployment allow for widespread adoption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of energy utilization technology, and in particular to a data center composite cooling system with waste heat recovery function. Background Technology

[0002] Data centers are major power consumers, with most of the electricity they consume being converted into low-grade waste heat. If this waste heat is not dissipated in time, the data center temperature will become too high, affecting its performance.

[0003] In related technologies, a water-cooled air conditioning system is used. The high-temperature air in the computer room exchanges heat with low-temperature chilled water through fan coil units, and the low-temperature air is then circulated into the computer room. The heat absorbed by the chilled water is transferred to the outdoor cooling water side through the refrigeration unit, and the heated cooling water dissipates heat with the outdoor air in the cooling tower.

[0004] However, in related technologies, the heat lost by data center servers is directly carried away by chilled water and discharged into the outdoor environment through cooling towers, making it impossible to utilize waste heat resources and wasting a large amount of energy. A few data center cooling systems with waste heat recovery capabilities require additional heat pump systems and complex piping, making them difficult to integrate well with the original cooling system. This results in poor economic benefits, complex construction, and limited widespread adoption, necessitating solutions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a data center composite cooling system with waste heat recovery function to solve the problems that data center cooling systems with waste heat recovery capabilities require additional configuration of heat pump systems and complex piping, cannot be well integrated with the original cooling system, have poor economic benefits, are complicated to construct, and cannot be widely promoted.

[0006] This application provides a data center composite cooling system with waste heat recovery function, comprising: a heat absorption component, which is installed in the data center and absorbs waste heat released by the equipment in the data center during operation; a heat dissipation component, which is connected to the heat absorption component and dissipates the waste heat to the outside; a waste heat recovery component, which is connected to the heat absorption component and recovers the waste heat; and a control component, which is connected to both the heat dissipation component and the waste heat recovery component. The control component determines the target operating mode of the composite cooling system according to user needs. When the target operating mode is a cooling and heat dissipation mode, the control component controls the heat dissipation component to dissipate the waste heat. When the target operating mode is a waste heat recovery mode, the control component recovers the waste heat and supplies the heat energy to the user.

[0007] Optionally, in this application, the heat dissipation component includes: a first refrigeration component connected to the heat absorption component, wherein the first refrigeration component delivers the waste heat to the outside world after passing it through a compression refrigeration cycle; and a second refrigeration component connected to the heat absorption component, wherein the second refrigeration component conducts the waste heat to the outside world.

[0008] Optionally, in this application, the heat absorption component includes: a fan disposed on the data center rack, the fan dissipating the waste heat released during the operation of the equipment in the data center through strong convection; and a heat pipe backplate containing refrigerant, the heat pipe backplate transferring the waste heat to the outside of the data center through a gravity loop.

[0009] Optionally, this application further includes: an intermediate heat exchanger, one end of which is connected to the heat absorption component, and the other end of which is connected to the first refrigeration component and the waste heat recovery component, wherein the intermediate heat exchanger uses refrigerant to exchange heat with the waste heat.

[0010] Optionally, in this application, the first refrigeration sub-component includes:

[0011] The first valve that regulates the working state of the first refrigeration component;

[0012] compressor;

[0013] Expansion valve;

[0014] An air conditioning condenser that delivers the waste heat to the outside environment.

[0015] Optionally, in this application, the waste heat recovery assembly includes:

[0016] A second valve that regulates the operating state of the waste heat recovery component;

[0017] compressor;

[0018] Expansion valve;

[0019] A plate heat exchanger for recovering the waste heat.

[0020] Optionally, in this application, the second refrigeration component includes:

[0021] A third valve that regulates the operating status of the second refrigeration component;

[0022] The heat pipe condenser conducts the waste heat to the outside environment.

[0023] Optionally, in this application, when the target operating mode is waste heat recovery mode, the control component is further configured to control the second valve to be in the open state and the first valve and the third valve to be in the closed state.

[0024] Optionally, in this application, when the target operating mode is the cooling and heat dissipation mode, the control component is further configured to control the first valve to be in the open state and the second and third valves to be in the closed state; or, while controlling the second valve to be in the closed state and the third valve to be in the open state, control the first valve to be in the open or closed state according to user needs.

[0025] Optionally, in this application, the control component is further configured to, when the third valve is open and the second refrigeration sub-component meets the cooling demand, control the first valve to be closed, and when the second refrigeration sub-component does not meet the cooling demand, control the first valve to be open while adjusting the operating frequency of the compressor in the first refrigeration sub-component according to the amount of unmet cooling demand.

[0026] The composite cooling system for data centers with waste heat recovery function disclosed in this application is equipped with heat-absorbing components inside the data center to remove the waste heat released by the equipment in the data center during operation. The data center is cooled by heat dissipation components and waste heat recovery components outside the data center. When heating is needed in winter, the waste heat is recovered and supplied to users, reducing heating costs, avoiding energy waste and environmental pollution. Furthermore, the heat-absorbing components, heat dissipation components, and waste heat recovery components have simple structures, are easy to integrate with the data center, have high economic benefits, and can be widely promoted.

[0027] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a data center composite cooling system with waste heat recovery function according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a data center composite cooling system with waste heat recovery function according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another specific data center composite cooling system with waste heat recovery function provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a data center composite cooling system with waste heat recovery function provided according to an embodiment of this application.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the data center composite cooling system with waste heat recovery function includes: heat absorption component 100, heat dissipation component 200, waste heat recovery component 300 and control component 400.

[0035] A heat absorption component 100 is installed in the data center to absorb waste heat released by the equipment during operation. A heat dissipation component 200 is connected to the heat absorption component and dissipates the waste heat to the outside. A waste heat recovery component 300 is connected to the heat absorption component and recovers waste heat. A control component 400 is connected to both the heat dissipation component and the waste heat recovery component. The control component determines the target operating mode of the composite cooling system according to user needs. When the target operating mode is cooling / heat dissipation mode, it controls the heat dissipation component to dissipate waste heat; when the target operating mode is waste heat recovery mode, it recovers waste heat and supplies the heat energy to the user.

[0036] It should be noted that the control component 400 can be controlled in various ways, such as wired or wireless control, or by manually opening the corresponding valve to achieve the corresponding function, or by controlling the corresponding component through commands from a mobile terminal. These can be set according to the actual situation without specific restrictions.

[0037] As is understood, the system of this application comprises two parts: an indoor side and an outdoor side. The indoor side is the heat absorption end of the composite cooling system, and the outdoor side is the heat transfer end of the composite cooling system. The entire system uses Freon as the circulating medium to avoid the danger of water entering the machine room. The compression cycle and the heat absorption cycle in the machine room are not connected to prevent compressor oil from entering the system and contaminating the entire system piping during long-term operation, resulting in high system reliability and safety.

[0038] Optionally, in an embodiment of this application, the heat absorption component 100 includes: a fan installed on a data center rack, which exhausts the waste heat released by the equipment in the data center during operation through strong convection; and a heat pipe backplate, in which a refrigerant is placed, which transfers the waste heat to the outside of the data center through a gravity loop.

[0039] Specifically, in one particular embodiment, the data center adopts a rack-level cooling method. The fans on the back panel of the rack use forced convection to carry away the heat generated by the servers in the rack. The hot air cools down as it passes through the heat pipe back panel, and the refrigerant in the heat pipe back panel absorbs heat and evaporates, transferring the heat to the outdoor side through a gravity-loop heat pipe.

[0040] Furthermore, in cooling and heat dissipation mode, the heat-absorbing components installed inside the data center can directly exchange heat with the data center, removing excess heat. Those skilled in the art can configure these components according to actual conditions, without making specific limitations.

[0041] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the data center composite cooling system 10 with waste heat recovery function further includes: an intermediate heat exchanger, one end of which is connected to the heat absorption component and the other end of which is connected to the first refrigeration component of the heat dissipation component and the waste heat recovery component. The intermediate heat exchanger uses refrigerant to exchange waste heat.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, the data center composite cooling system 10 with waste heat recovery function is also equipped with an intermediate heat exchanger, which serves as an intermediate node between the heat absorption component 100 and the heat dissipation component 200 and the waste heat recovery component 300.

[0043] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the heat dissipation component includes: a first refrigeration component connected to a heat absorption component, wherein the first refrigeration component delivers waste heat to the outside through a compression refrigeration cycle; and a second refrigeration component connected to the heat absorption component, wherein the second refrigeration component conducts waste heat to the outside.

[0044] It is understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the target operating modes on the outdoor side include a cooling and heat dissipation mode and a waste heat recovery mode, wherein the cooling and heat dissipation mode further includes a refrigeration mode and a transitional season composite mode. In the cooling and heat dissipation mode, the embodiments of this application determine the operating states of the first and second refrigeration sub-components according to the specific mode.

[0045] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the first cooling component includes:

[0046] The first valve that regulates the operating state of the first refrigeration component, such as... Figure 2 Valve 1 in the middle;

[0047] compressor;

[0048] Expansion valve;

[0049] An air conditioner condenser that transfers waste heat to the outside.

[0050] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the waste heat recovery component includes:

[0051] The second valve that regulates the operating status of the waste heat recovery component, such as... Figure 2 Valve 2 in the middle;

[0052] compressor;

[0053] Expansion valve;

[0054] Plate heat exchangers for recovering waste heat.

[0055] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the second cooling component includes:

[0056] The third valve that regulates the operating status of the second refrigeration component, such as... Figure 2 Valve 3 in the middle;

[0057] Heat pipe condensers that transfer waste heat to the outside environment.

[0058] Understandably, after determining the specific target operating mode of the composite cooling system based on user needs, the opening or closing of the first valve, second valve, and third valve is controlled according to the target operating mode.

[0059] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, when the target operating mode is the waste heat recovery mode, the control component is further configured to control the second valve to be in the open state and the first valve and the third valve to be in the closed state.

[0060] Combination Figure 2 As shown, when temperatures are low in winter and heating is needed in the office area, control valve 2 opens, while valves 1 and 3 close. Heat enters the heat pump system through an intermediate heat exchanger, which consists of a compressor, a plate heat exchanger (condenser end), an expansion valve, and an intermediate heat exchanger (absorber end). Hot water return from the hot water network enters the plate heat exchanger, exchanges heat with the high-temperature working fluid, and then flows out to heat the office area. This application fully utilizes the large amount of low-to-medium grade waste heat released during the operation of the data center, and provides heating to the office area in winter by improving the grade of the waste heat. Compared with traditional municipal boiler heating, this heating method has a significant energy-saving effect and will indirectly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fossil fuels. At the same time, it can save heating expenses, with a short payback period and outstanding economic benefits.

[0061] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, when the target operating mode is the cooling and heat dissipation mode, the control component is further configured to,

[0062] Control the first valve to be open, and the second and third valves to be closed; or

[0063] While controlling the second valve to be closed and the third valve to be open, the first valve can also be controlled to be open or closed according to user needs.

[0064] It is understandable that the waste heat cooling and heat dissipation mode includes a cooling mode and a transitional season composite mode, and the heat dissipation components are controlled in different working states according to different modes.

[0065] Combination Figure 2 As shown, in cooling mode, when the ambient temperature is high in summer, control valve 1 is open, while valves 2 and 3 are closed. Heat enters the refrigeration cycle system through the intermediate heat exchanger. This refrigeration cycle consists of a compressor, an air conditioner condenser (condensing end), such as a tube-fin heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an intermediate heat exchanger (heat absorption end). The air conditioner condenser exhausts the high-temperature air outdoors through a fan.

[0066] Optionally, in an embodiment of this application, when the target operating mode is the cooling and heat dissipation mode, the control component is further configured to, when the third valve is open and the second refrigeration sub-component meets the cooling requirements, control the first valve to be closed; when the second refrigeration sub-component does not meet the cooling requirements, control the first valve to be open while adjusting the operating frequency of the compressor in the first refrigeration sub-component according to the amount of unmet cooling requirements.

[0067] Combination Figure 2 As shown, in the transitional season combined mode, during the spring and autumn transitional seasons, control valves 1 and 3 are open, while valve 2 is closed. At this time, both natural cooling and compression refrigeration modes are activated simultaneously. The refrigerant completes a natural circulation without pump power through components such as the evaporator, valve 3, and heat pipe condenser. When the natural circulation cooling capacity is insufficient to meet the cooling demand, the system adjusts the compressor frequency in the refrigeration cycle according to the computer room's cooling requirements, activating the refrigeration mode. Simultaneously, the refrigerant releases heat in the intermediate heat exchanger, completing the evaporator-intermediate heat exchanger cycle. In the combined mode, heat is dissipated at the heat pipe condenser and the air conditioning condenser, respectively. This combined refrigeration mode maximizes the use of natural cold sources and reduces compressor power.

[0068] This system organically combines natural cooling, refrigeration, and heat pump cycles. During the transitional season when outdoor temperatures are low, the system relies solely on a gravity-driven heat pipe system for heat dissipation, consuming no pump power and achieving excellent energy efficiency. When ambient temperatures rise, the system seamlessly switches between mechanical refrigeration and natural circulation modes by changing the compressor frequency, maximizing the use of natural cold sources for heat transfer. The refrigeration and heat pump cycles share a single compressor system, simplifying operation and management with a low initial investment.

[0069] Combination Figure 2 As shown, in one specific embodiment of this application, the first refrigeration component and the waste heat recovery component can share a single plate heat exchanger, connected to different interfaces of the plate heat exchanger, thereby simplifying the system layout. Figure 3The diagram illustrates the structure of another composite cooling system. Other components in the composite cooling system may be interchangeable or non-interchangeable; those skilled in the art can configure them according to the specific circumstances, without specific limitations.

[0070] The embodiments of this application enable the system to switch between different outdoor environments, including mechanical refrigeration, combined cooling, natural cooling, and waste heat recovery heat pump heating modes. This allows the system to meet multiple objectives, such as heat dissipation and heating of the computer room across a wide temperature range. It fully utilizes natural cold sources, extends their utilization time, and reduces cooling system energy consumption. This reduces initial system investment and increases system economic efficiency. Furthermore, the design of a perfluorinated circuit system ensures system safety.

[0071] The composite cooling system for data centers with waste heat recovery function disclosed in this application is equipped with heat-absorbing components inside the data center to remove the waste heat released by the equipment in the data center during operation. The data center is cooled by heat dissipation components and waste heat recovery components outside the data center. When heating is needed in winter, the waste heat is recovered and supplied to users, reducing heating costs, avoiding energy waste and environmental pollution. Furthermore, the heat-absorbing components, heat dissipation components, and waste heat recovery components have simple structures, are easy to integrate with the data center, have high economic benefits, and can be widely promoted.

[0072] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0073] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "N" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

Claims

1. A data center hybrid cooling system with waste heat recovery function, characterized in that, include: A heat-absorbing component is installed in a data center to absorb waste heat released by the equipment in the data center during operation. The heat absorption assembly includes: a fan mounted on the data center rack, which exhausts the waste heat released by the equipment in the data center during operation through strong convection; and a heat pipe backplate containing refrigerant, which transfers the waste heat to the outside of the data center through a gravity loop. A heat dissipation assembly is connected to a heat absorption assembly, which dissipates the waste heat to the outside. The heat dissipation assembly includes a first refrigeration component connected to the heat absorption assembly, which delivers the waste heat to the outside through a compression refrigeration cycle. The first refrigeration component includes: a first valve for regulating the operating state of the first refrigeration component; a compressor; an expansion valve; and an air conditioning condenser for delivering the waste heat to the outside. A waste heat recovery component is connected to the heat absorption component and recovers the waste heat. The waste heat recovery component includes: a second valve for regulating the working state of the waste heat recovery component; a compressor; an expansion valve; and a plate heat exchanger for recovering the waste heat. A control component is connected to the heat dissipation component and the waste heat recovery component respectively. The control component determines the target working mode of the composite cooling system according to user needs. When the target working mode is the cooling and heat dissipation mode, the control component controls the heat dissipation component to dissipate the waste heat. When the target working mode is the waste heat recovery mode, the control component recovers the waste heat and supplies the heat energy to the user. An intermediate heat exchanger is provided, with one end connected to the heat absorption component and the other end connected to the first refrigeration component and the waste heat recovery component. The intermediate heat exchanger uses refrigerant to exchange heat with the waste heat. The heat dissipation component includes: The second refrigeration component is connected to the heat absorption component and conducts the waste heat to the outside environment. The second refrigeration component includes: A third valve that regulates the operating status of the second refrigeration component; The heat pipe condenser conducts the waste heat to the outside environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, When the target operating mode is waste heat recovery mode, the control component is further used to, The second valve is controlled to be in the open state, while the first and third valves are in the closed state.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein, When the target operating mode is the cooling and heat dissipation mode, the control component is further used to: Control the first valve to be open, and the second and third valves to be closed; or While controlling the second valve to be closed and the third valve to be open, the first valve can also be controlled to be open or closed according to user needs.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein, When the target operating mode is the cooling and heat dissipation mode, the control component is further used to: When the third valve is in the open state and the second refrigeration sub-device meets the cooling demand, the first valve is controlled to be in the closed state; when the second refrigeration sub-device does not meet the cooling demand, the first valve is controlled to be in the open state, and the working frequency of the compressor in the first refrigeration sub-device is adjusted according to the amount of the unmet cooling demand.

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